Nonhuman animals are much more intelligent that we have ever
recognized. In fact, in many tasks, they put us to shame.
Chimpanzees have better memory, elephants and other nonhumans
animals are self aware (just like us), many of them use tools, they
mourn, etc. These are just some examples of their incredible
complexity.

Please visit The Brains of the Animal Kingdom:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323869604578370574285382756.html

Nonhuman animals are creations of God. They are complex
sentient beings who have incredible intelligence that allows them to
thrive in their own environments. It is time to ask ourselves if we
have been blindly (or maybe intentionally) ignoring that God’s
animals indeed are too much like us. Once we recognize that
intelligence and sentience are part of the whole animal kingdom, we
might be much more reluctant to cause them suffering and death in
order to fulfill our wants. Most people are able to live a
fulfilling and joyous life without eating God’s animals or their
by-products. The choice is ours.